Tag: environment

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The Journey of a Small Local Kinder

Choosing the right childcare centre, kindergarten or school is one of the most challenging decisions parents have to make. It’s clear that many parents have an idea of what sort of program or approach to early childhood education they prefer… So how can our philosophy, values and early childhood curriculum suit everyone?

As early childhood educators, we want to deliver what all families want, but how do we do this while staying true to what we believe will help a child to reach their full potential?

Have a Vision

After teaching music to children for more than 25 years, it was evident to me that music is powerful! I could see how music could change lives and characters of young people and could become a key for the development of the whole child. The vision for me was to use music as the foundation of a program to nurture each individual, develop their sense of identity and unlock the door to reach their potential.

The questions I asked myself were: “How can we create a curriculum where music will become a strong and valuable foundation for children’s learning? How can we include music in everyday routines? How can we achieve the best outcomes for EVERY CHILD, EVERY DAY?”

Fix your Focus

With so many expectations from parents, it’s hard to know what to focus on. “Will your programme help my child to read and write before he’ll start school?…” “Can you help my child become independent? He will be going to prep next year…”
“Don’t you teach children math in kinder? They need to know how to count…”

So where do we start? I believe we should start with VALUES. For example, the Bonkers Beat Philosophy is based on Five Principles:
• Respect for all people
• Respect for all animals & living creatures
• Respect for all plants & nature
• Respect for kinder & personal belongings
• Respect for yourself

While our program reflects these Five Principles, it’s clear that every curriculum should have only one Main Focus: THE CHILD!

Ask yourself these questions:

What is the main focus of our curriculum?

Is this working for the children (and educators)?

Are the children really interested and engaged?

Do I really know and understand every single child?

What new and exciting ideas can I offer?

What is my purpose and what is my vision?”

Remember every educator is a creator and every educator is an innovator. If our Main Focus is the CHILD, we are well on our way to delivering a world-class curriculum.

Wellness Works for Every Child

We mentioned in our previous blog, ‘Why Wellness REALLY Works’, that a holistic approach really is crucial to deliver high quality early childhood education. For me, the approach that made the most sense – and demonstrated amazing results – was through wellness. There’s really no denying that achieving wellness for children AND for educators improves every aspect of early childhood education – for families, staff, centres and the industry as a whole.

In our days of pressure and fast living, it’s so easy to fall into the habit of doing the same things over and over again. From time to time we might feel scared to make a change or try something different. Often, we get criticised for not doing things the ‘usual’ way. Believing in your dreams and working towards one goal with a team of supportive and dedicated people, will make a difference. It will help you to put your vision into practice.

For me, one single idea of a music program for EVERY CHILD EVERY DAY, was just the beginning of a comprehensive and innovative curriculum which is now successfully run in centres all over Australia!

There is always so much more for us to learn, that we can never say that all our work is done. There will always be many more opportunities to improve, make our curriculum better and reflect on the changes of our fast moving society.

I’ve joined forces with internationally renowned early childhood expert Alina Dan and invite you to join us at Wellness Works: The Complete Early Childhood Leaders Conference. Come along and see for yourself why a holistic approach is so unique and effective.

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WHY Wellness REALLY Works

wellness in early childhood

“Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential. Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual wellbeing, and the environment. Wellness is positive and affirming.” National Wellness Institute

We all want to be the best version of ourselves possible. And we want the children in our care to reach their full potential too. Working towards wellness is the key.

Wellness is made up of several connected parts, and can really only be approached holistically. By approaching early childhood education with wellness in mind, we can make an incredible positive impact for all involved.

The Australian Psychological Society’s 2015 survey on stress and wellbeing in Australia showed that the wellbeing of Australians is faring worse than the first survey in 2011 – we’re reporting lower levels of wellbeing and workplace wellbeing, as well as higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. This is in line with BeyondBlue’s statistics that suggest there are 3 million Australians living with depression or anxiety.

It’s time that we in early childhood education put some serious effort into the wellness of both educators and children. The best way to change the future is with wellness and some inspired leadership action. This is the mentality behind The Complete Wellness Works Educational Leaders Conference.

This is a conference like no other, designed specifically for educational leaders, management, directors and owners. It’s time to lead your centre with an early childhood revolution. You can learn more and register today at www.bonkersbeat.com/wellnessworks/.

Early childhood education needs a holistic approach, and the multi-faceted nature of wellness is the ideal foundation to build the future on.

Wellness in early childhood really does work, and The Complete Wellness Works Educational Leaders Conference is going to show you how to make it work for you and your centre.

Alina Dan is an internationally renowned early childhood presenter and business developer – her presentation will empower you to reach your full potential in your role as a leader.

Galina Zenin is a multi-award winning educator and her Seven Stone Philosophy is a clear path to incorporating wellness in early childhood. Her presentation is not only informative but gives you practical tools and inspiring insights into incorporating wellness to make your centre the best it can be.

Why does wellness work?

Here’s the simple answer: the path to wellness in early childhood is also the path to reaching our full potential. Let’s get started on the journey to wellness and watch as your team and the children in your care flourish – not to mention your centre.

Spots are filling FAST! Secure yours now – register at www.bonkersbeat.com/wellnessworks/

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Want to prevent short-sightedness in children? Go outside

short-sightedness in children - go outside

We all know that children aren’t spending as much time outdoors as they used to, but now we are beginning to see the impact on their health – most recently, their eyesight.

Ground-breaking research released this month from a Queensland University of Technology study indicates that more exposure to outdoor light is crucial to reduce the epidemic of short-sightedness in children.

Short-sightedness, or ‘myopia’, has often been blamed on sitting too close to screens, but optometrist and head of research in the study, Associate Professor Scott Read said: “While screens are contributing to children spending more time indoors than in previous years, the research shows they are not the direct cause of the increased incidence of myopia”.

With this new research, tomorrow’s Earth Day is beneficial not only to show children how to take care of the planet but also to benefit their health and renew their love for the outdoors.

Get Outside for Earth Day

That’s right, Friday 22 April is Earth Day – a day dedicated to our home! It’s no secret that the Bonkers Beat programs are passionate about sustainable practices and learning about the world around us, as well as creating amazing outdoor spaces at centres.

The official Earth Day website tells us that one of the easiest and most effective ways of contributing on Earth Day is by planting trees. Lucky for us living and breathing early childhood education, many children love digging in dirt!

If you aren’t able to locate somewhere to plant trees, even herbs and plants are simple ways of communicating the message and reaping the benefits of children getting close to nature. Register your event or find one here.

Trees are all around us, big, small, flowering, homes for birds and other animals – let’s get children talking about them, planting them, admiring them! Preventing short-sightedness in children in just one of the many benefits of spending more time outdoors. The more children love and appreciate the outdoors, the more likely they are to go outside – and we know how important that is.

Read more about the QUT study on outdoor light and short-sightedness here.

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Sustainability in 3 Steps to Help Clean Up Australia

We are all striving towards creating the ultimate learning environment for young children. But what about the bigger picture? Making sure we take care of the environment in a broader sense is crucial, as is teaching the next generation about the importance of keeping the planet healthy.

Sustainability isn’t a buzzword – it’s the key to a happy, healthy future for us all. So how do educators and children make a difference? Our environmental sustainability program is a big part of the Bonkers Beat philosophy and practice. We understand the importance of looking after our planet and work together to raise awareness of the environment and a sense of connection to the natural world. Clean Up Australia Day is coming up on 6 March (Schools Clean Up Day, 4 March) and this is a good starting point to open up a discussion with children about the environment.

Encourage Sustainability in Three Steps

We’ve identified a three step pathway to showing children how they can make a different to the planet and the future:

  • Respect

If we can first encourage children to respect the environment and nature, we have made a good start. One of the easiest ways of doing this is through growing, cooking and eating. Once children see firsthand that nature is providing yummy food for them with just a little bit of care, they tend to look at a garden from a new perspective.
Practical Tip: Children should be taught care for plants and nature through activities like planting, watering plants, pruning, harvesting/picking and cooking.

  • Responsibility

Working from a basis of respect for the environment, children and staff can demonstrate their respect for their environment by becoming socially responsible. Promote awareness of wastage when it comes to water, electricity, paper and recyclable materials.
Practical Tip: Time handwashing, use compost bins, grow vegetables, fruit and herbs, maximise the use of natural light, minimise the use of heating and cooling.

  • The three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

These three R’s are practical reminders that we can apply to almost anything in life. If children have some paper we want them to think: can it be reused or recycled? They deserve to know that off-cuts of used scrap paper can be turned into tissues, newspapers, kitty litter and moulded cartons for eggs and fruit. We want them to opt for a reusable snack box rather than plastic wrappings, and to understand the impact of littering on animals and the world.
Practical Tip: Read more about how to action the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – here.

Explaining sustainability to children can be tricky. The simple explanation we always use: it is just ‘Enough for Everyone for Ever’.

At Bonkers Beat we believe it is our responsibility to be role models and teach children to:

-learn about the environment
-develop skills to investigate and solve issues in the environment
-acquire attitudes of care and concern for the environment
-adopt behaviours and practices which protect the environment
-understand the principles of ecologically sustainable development

Remember, the upcoming annual event Clean Up Australia Day is on 6 March (Schools Clean Up Day 4 March)! Centres, you can register your Clean Up Day by clicking here. Alternatively, you might like to register to join an existing site clean up.

Here’s a sneak peak at our environmental sustainability program at the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale:

Inspire us by showing off images from your centre on our Facebook page, or Bonkers Beat members can share in the private My Bonkers Beat group.

P.S. As a loyal Bonkers Beat supporter, please enjoy this gift from Bonkers the Monkey – click here for your exclusive access to our song ‘Bonkers Rap’. A fun resource for talking about looking after the planet!

 

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Clean and Green for Earth Day and Beyond

Earth Day is coming up on April 22 and it has inspired us to talk about sustainability and environmental responsibility in early childhood settings; why it’s important and how we can do our bit.

Earth Day itself is intended to raise awareness and appreciation for planet earth and our beautiful natural environment. Behind the movement is the Earth Day Network, working with over 20,000 partners across 192 countries to make positive change. The great thing is, we can all contribute to positive change and it can be fun too.

Sustainability can be a complex concept, however our favourite and simple way of understanding it and explaining it to children is ensuring there’s “Enough for Everyone Forever”.

With this in mind, here are some top tips for early childhood settings to be clean and green and help children to learn respect for the environment and benefit from a connection with the natural world.

Top tips for being Clean and Green

-Grow plants at your centre for children to nurture. Children can plant, water and monitor nature firsthand. These could even be something edible!

-Encourage and facilitate recycling of materials in the centre

-Maximise natural light and minimise use of artificial light, heaters and air conditioners where possible

-Save water with hand-washing timers, collect rainwater and reuse water for gardening and playing

 

Our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and Childcare in Aspendale is proud of its focus on sustainability – take a look at this video to see how we contribute positively:

You can never have too much advice on being environmentally friendly – what are your tips? Let us know!

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National Tree Day for a Greener Future

This week brings us National Tree Day on Sunday 27 July, offering the ultimate opportunity to get the next generation feeling inspired when it comes to nature – after all today’s children need to be educated about the importance of our land as they’ll take over as the custodians of the environment in years to come.

To support National Tree Day we also have Schools Tree Day coming up on this Friday 25 July. This Planet Ark initiative works together with National Tree Day to bring us Australia’s biggest community nature event! With over 4,000 Tree Day events taking place across the country, this wonderful initiative results in the planting of over 1 million native trees, shrubs and grasses!

Don’t be disheartened if you haven’t planned anything in time for this week – you can register with Planet Ark and hold your tree-planting event any time you like. The last weekend of July is the chosen time for the event due to it being an optimal planting time, but of course there are many different plants and many other opportunities to have your very own Tree Day!

It really is so special to watch children as they learn how to plant and care for seedlings, helping them to grow. This nurturing skill isn’t the only benefit though – we have previously discussed just how important it is for children to get out and about in the great outdoors and reconnect with nature, and planting is one of the best ways to do it: https://musicearlychildhoodpresenter.com/blog/get-back-to-nature/

The Tree Day website has some fantastic resources for educators who want to incorporate this national event into their week, whether it’s this week or perhaps down the track – here’s the link through to lesson plans to get you inspired: http://treeday.planetark.org/teachers/lesson-plans.cfm

Addressing climate change, our need to be close to nature, the importance of biodiversity and native plants… National Tree Day and School Tree Day is a valuable event on the Australian calendar.

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Sustainability Practices & Beyond…

Earlier this month World Environment Day took place, with its major goal to increase awareness of environmental issues and encourage sustainability across the globe. World Environment Day lands on June 5 every year and is a United Nations initiative that has been embraced by many people in various countries and sees them get inspired to take positive environmental action.

With the environment in mind, we want to highlight how sustainability practices not only help the world become a better place for all, but can assist you in improving your NQS Rating.

ACECQA’s most recent newsletter takes a look at a wonderful, lush service in Toowoomba, Queensland and the incredible work they have done including the introduction of a worm farm at their centre. Of course, many other services have less space and their surrounding area may not be as nature-rich, but there are always ways to improve the space you are working with. To have a read of ACECQA’s newsletter about sustainability, click here.

Standard 3.3 of the National Quality Standard states:

‘The service takes an active role in caring for its environment and contributes to a sustainable future.’ 

According to ACECQA, Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment and Standard 3.3 as mentioned above, are areas that often prove to be challenging for centres, with a Working Towards NQS Rating the most likely result across over 5,500 assessed centres.

Bonkers Beat is very proud to have achieved an Exceeding NQS Rating for this area, which was the highest rating achievable at the time.  This is why we want to share our sustainability practices with you!

Bonkers Beat Aspendale was recently filmed for a training video about incorporating sustainability into services, and you can watch the video to enjoy a brief tour of the space that we have created: ‘Environmental Sustainability Program at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder Aspendsale’

We believe that we can all contribute to a sustainable future, and you may even find some of our ideas could work at your home!

Unfortunately, we can only share a short, edited version of the video as they are specifically being used for training, but we always welcome visitors to our centre, so if you’d like to come along and see more of Bonkers Beat for yourself, get in touch to arrange a visit!

Many thanks to Child Care Centres Association of Victoria for running a very valuable General Members Meeting last night in Melbourne and inviting Mary Jeavons from ‘Jeavons Landscape Architects’.  Mary presented a fantastic session on the planning and design of outdoor spaces in children’s services. To support our previous discussion, she highlighted the importance of outdoor play and influence of the natural environment on children’s overall development.

Not only are our sustainability practices working towards a better world, we are able to offer a hands-on teaching experience for children to learn how to care for the environment – and this is surely the ultimate way of looking out for the future!

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